Biodiversity at risk
Knowing the weeds that pose the threat to biodiversity is only part of the solution to reducing their impact on native species. Identifying the biodiversity at risk from these weeds is essential for ensuring effective weed management. This is a difficult task and a lack of quantitative studies investigating weed impacts has resulted in a limited understanding of what is under threat and how to manage them. This project has now assessed the biodiversity at risk from high priority weeds and ranked sites for control, which will ensure that control will have the greatest biodiversity benefit.
How was this done?
The Weed Impacts to Native Species (WINS) system has been developed to identify the native species at risk from plant invasions. The process involves four steps including a literature review, collation of local knowledge, evaluation of an interim list of species at risk and a final ranking of the native species at risk using a model. This system has been used effectively to identify species under threat from bitou bush and lantana invasion in NSW.
The WINS approach has been modified to consider the impacts from a suite of weed species and prioritise the biodiversity at risk within each region. This list of biodiversity at risk is being used to select priority sites for control. A list of sites identified will then be ranked. Sites are prioritised based on areas where control is both achievable and likely to have the greatest benefit to native biodiversity.
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Page last updated: 26 February 2011
